Wednesday, January 11, 2012

10 Actresses Who Should Be The Next Companion

Yup, it's already that time of year when boredom has set in and lists have started pouring out. With the news that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are leaving Doctor Who, there's gonna be a companion~sized hole in the TARDIS very soon. Below is a list of actresses who Blogtor thinks would assist Matt Smith excellently in Series 7. Feel free to comment below...

10. SOFIE GRABOL

If you're not aware of Gråbøl, she is the jumper (or "sweater") wearing detective Sarah Lund from the Danish series, The Killing. Now, those of you afeared of foreigners shouldn't worry, she can speak English (though the TARDIS would just translate anyway if she chose to Dane all over the place). Lund popped up in Absolutely Fabulous over Christmas so she's not averse to the BBC. Blogtor envisions her as an overworked, but sexy, scientist who lets Doctor Who whisk her away...

9. ANTONIA THOMAS

Despite having appeared in the blummin' awful The Deep, Thomas displayed some fine actoring over three series in E4's Misfits - a show that once rivaled Doctor Who in quality (once). It's been announced that she's not returning for a fourth series (rats, sinking ship, etc..) so the actress is perhaps looking for another gig. And this time, she'll be able to keep her clothes on. Thomas would be ideal as a bored sandwich shop assistant, looking for excitement...

8. LARA PULVER

Without wanting to use words such as "Phwoar", "Corr" and "Won't Someone Please Think Of The Children?", Pulver is perhaps known to some of you for her role as Irene Adler in this year's trouser~tightening Sherlock opener. So her BBC Wales/SteeMo connection has been made. Tick. We can forgive her for starring in Robin Hood (bless) as long she brings the whip to match The Doctor's Sonic. Definitely a Doctor who indulges in her own medicine...

7. OLIVIA HALLINAN

Having made her name in C4's slightly racey Sugar Rush (which also starred Gridlock's Lenora Crichlow, fact fans), Hallinan has darted about with various interesting choices becoming most well~known for the BBC series, Lark Rise to Candleford. The young minx also popped up in one of my favourite Torchwood episodes, Out of Time, so she's not unknown to the world of BBC Wales. Perfect for futuristic farm fillie with a flavour for flight (of a time~traveling variety)...

6. AMARA KARAN

Ok, so she's already appeared in Doctor Who and died (oops, spoiler). Or did she? With SteeMo at the helm death is not the end. Regardless, as Rita in The God Complex she seemed like the perfect companion, with even The Doctor wanting to "hire " her for his TARDIS chum. Karan definitely has charm and skills; reprising Rita would most assuredly be the best bet for her.

5. HOLLY EARL

Another role reprisal I'd lurve to see is Lily from The Doctor, The Widow & the Wardrobe. Earl's scenes with Matt were an absolute delight and, for me, were the best moments from the Christmas Special. Seeing The Doctor with a much younger companion brought a new dimension, a new chemistry to the show; furthering my belief that Matt works at his very best with "kids" (though the actress is actually nineteen).

4. ZOOEY DESCHANEL

Long shot? I think not. With the pull of BBC America, surely a North American companion is but episodes away? Her own series New Girl, though received well, isn't performing as well as it might in the ratings so Deschanel may well be looking for a more permanent gig. We see her as a girl (kooky, obviously), sitting on a platform having missed her train, waiting for a better life...

3. MIRANDA HART

Way to upset Doctor Who fans Blogtor! Having sat in a room with the actress, it is quite clear she is going to be in the show at some point. To be honest, however, I don't think as a companion. Miranda has too much on her plate at the moment to commit to such a schedule, so probably just a guest role. Anyway, I would lurve to see her in the TARDIS whatever the part. Hart would be an excellent novelty shop owner who is bored and looking for love (preferably from a Doctor who has already appeared in the show*)...

2. ANDREA RISEBOROUGH

I've been a fan of the Rise~a~tron, as no one calls her (not even me) ever since I watched BBC Two's Party Animals back in 2007. Oddly enough, it also starred a little guy called Matt Smith (who, at the time, I mentioned could be a future Doctor Who). But it was The Devil's Whore (along with John Simm) that people began to take note of the Rise~a~nator. For me, she was sublime as Margaret Thatcher in the amazing, The Long Walk to Finchley (check it out if you can). She's a bit too "big" for telly now as she's performing in movie after movie but, still, perfect for a regenerated Jenny...

1. KATHERINE PARKINSON

As you can perhaps tell, I lurve funny woman. And Parky is FUNNEEEE! And that voice. Hhmmm, voice. Anyway, enough of my lustful ramblings, the actress has been all over telly from TV's favourite Doctor, Doc Martin on ITV1 to The Old Guys on BBC One to the lamentable Whites on BBC Two and to her crowning glory, The IT Crowd on C4. She's popped up rather wonderfully in the Sherlock Series 2 finale so one wonders if SteeMo has his casting cap on? Her role - cleaner on a Space Station who turns out to be River Song's half sister (on The Doctor's side)...

Love your various "casting" ideas. While I agree Matt works wonderfully with children I think it would be more fun if his companion is *not* also a child. His characterization would thrive with an older companion, someone who begins very seriously, and then lightens and gentles as they both interact with youthful guest stars. Just my opinion :)

The only one, I like of those women, is Zoeey. Is there really no 'star' in the UK, that is known all over the world?

I would also suggest the actress who played .. Stacey? in Hustle. She was great and she could be the kind of companion that Donna was. Rather independent and not looking up to the Doctor but being an equal.

I'd also like to see Jenny come back, either with Georgia or Jenny could regenerate after a second death. Who knows?

Here are my highly opiniated reactions to this. Lara Pulver was the best thing about the genuinely wonderful third series of Robon Hood (no really), she doesn't need forgiving for that. I love her, and would love to see her in Doctor Who, but not sure she'd be a good companion. Holly Earl: YES PLEASE, but maybe not for another couple of years (don't really want any more near-immediate reprisals, tbh). Katherine Parkinson: what the hell are you thinking? I have never seen a worse actress, and it astounds me that she is continually given roles in excellent programmes. If she shows up in Who I'll be fighting back the bile, couldn't see her proving everyone wrong a la the Tatester. Finally: Ellie Kendrick. Younger (looking) companion, spirited, really quite attractive in an unconventional way, graduating from uni this summer, chance she'll do signings and I can meet her and we'll get married and... you get the idea. Google her. Her and Holly Earl together would be awesome too. Whoever it is, I also want them to be from the past. THE PAST. Not sure why, it would just be fun. Also, what about Georgia Moffet? Surely we'll be seeing daughter Jenny around the anniversary year...?

Yes, yes, yes to Amara Karan. Rita was a good character, too, so though I grow ever wearier of Moffo's resurrections, I'd certainly be happy to see another if it meant the divine Ms Karan could become a regular.

If it must be girls, let's have Jenny and Madame Vastra the Silurian from A Good Man Goes to War. Now THAT would be different!

Otherwise, let's have a fella (maybe an older one for a change) or an alien. Personally I'd love to see Ben Daniels go head to head with Matt Smith's Eleven - and if we're resurrecting the dead, let's bring the Master back from the dead for the umpteenth time and have Ben Daniels play him with pure menace and villainy rather than that ridiculous scenery-chewing pantomime nonsense Simm was forced to indulge in.

Well, you know - it's always girls as companions and while I adore Martha, and love Donna, and didn't mind River, I'd like to see some more male companions! Rory's my favourite of the current TARDIS team after all.

I'm gonna second the nominations of Jessica Brown Findlay - glad to hear she wasn't far off the list - but regarding zweibelbaguette's Stacey-off-Hustle suggestion, while I would like to see Jaime Murray in Doctor Who, I think she'd perhaps be worth saving to play the Corsair.

Thinking about it, it would be rather cool if Good Man Goes to War Jenny turned out to be Daughter Jenny after all. Some timey-wimey stuff could let us see Georgia Moffet for a bit, and then Catrin Stewart could take over. And this could be before she teams up with Vastra, and the stories could tie together later? That would be pretty cool. Her and someone else too. Multiple companions FTW.

For the person who commented 'typical girl centric list boring' - let's face some facts here - the next companion directly after Amy/Rory WILL BE FEMALE. I know Moffat said him/her/it, but I think he was partially humouring people there so attacking Cameron because the list didn't meet your standards seems childish. I don't even see an alien companion happening on this show given the emphasis on the companions having to be relatable nowadays for modern audiences but a male companion maybe introduced a few episodes after the next female companion could be possible.

NEW GIRL "isn't performing as well as it might in the ratings..."? Cameron, I know you're on the other side of the Atlantic, so I'm not sure where you're getting your information from. But NEW GIRL is FOX's top performing show for the Fall of 2011 in the all-important 18-49 demo graphic that drives network broadcasting in the States. It's a definite lock for a second season. I love Zooey, too, but she's not even close to being a long shot.

Pleaseeee be Zooey! She's awesome, quirky, and it would be good for the Doctor to go out there, spread around a little- i mean, he's always on Earth, but he could at least escape the U.K soon for a new companion? Also campaigning for him to come Down Under next year, seeing as America was the target of Season 6. Thanks for the update Blogtor :)

stop spelling love wrong, it's just annoying, also why do you think the show being dominated by the American market is a good thing, I don't mean americans can't watch it, the more fans the better but it's a british show, so it should stop attempting to change to make different people like, still zooey could actually be a good companion, she could have played peri